The present invention relates to a drum for clarifying and separating centrifugates, with at least one skimmer for diverting the clarified or separated centrifugates, with a stationary inlet pipe extending into an inlet chamber, which rotates along with the drum, through an aperture that is slightly wider than the inlet pipe, with outlets extending from the inlet chamber into a vestibule that communicates with channels ascending through a set of nested plates within the drum, and with, upstream of the inlet chamber, an annular space that communicates with the inlet chamber through an annular channel.
A drum of this type is known, for example, from German Pat. No. 3 019 737. The centrifugate can be gently supplied to the rotating inlet chamber in the distributor because the inlet chamber is kept extensively full of centrifugate. This entails, however, precisely adjusting the drum to the particular rate of supply desired. If the rate of supply increases during operation, the inlet chamber will overflow. Some of the overflowing centrifugate can be intercepted by the annular space communicating with and upstream of the inlet chamber returned to the centrifuging space through channels that extend from the annular space. If the suction capacity of the channels is exceeded, however, some of the overflow will enter the skimming chamber of the skimmer, where it will have a deleterious effect on the light phase of the centrifugate.
If the inlet chamber is not full enough to overflow, an injector effect can occur at the exit of the inlet pipe and lead to bursting of the particles of fat in the milk or of other particles in whatever suspension constitutes the centrifugate.